Poison In Her Veins
by Greenwolves
Summary: Set after Firebrand. Zachary is returning to Sacor City, when he is ambushed, but someone saves him. The only question is, can he save them?
1. chapter 1

Zachary Hillander shifted uncomfortably in the saddle. The horse beneath him was unfamiliar, as he had borrowed it off of a soldier of the River Unit, for his return to Sacor City.

The plain brown gelding was nothing compared to the last horse he had ridden; Condor. Karigan's gelding had been alert and confident, and as a Green Rider horse, ready for anything. But although Condor was a cooperative and impressive mount, he didn't really look the part. Zachary, however, was used to riding the finest steeds in the land, and this poor horse was not quite at the same level.

To make things worse, Zachary, unlike his Riders, was not used to spending days in the saddle. His legs were stiff and aching from the uncomfortable position, and once again was struck by the little credit his Riders received. One rider in particular stood out for him.

His Karigan.

Legendary Rider, honorary Black Shield, Avatar of Westrion and a Knight of the Realm. Her deeds were renowned across the land.

But she had suffered. Scars mottled her body and she was filled with the emotional trauma of losing a man she had loved. A mirror eye, dark magic buried in her shoulder, and the marks of torture across her back, the flesh ripped to shreds. He ached to comfort her. But he could not.

He must not.

He looked up, and dimly wondered where she was. It had been weeks since they had parted. She must have left the P'ehdrose by now. He had been forced into accompanying a border patrol for safety, which had added days to his journey. The captain of the River Unit had insisted, though his Weapon Willis, and Rider Connly did not look happy.

The Rider had informed him several times that this road was completely open to attack, whereas he knew a path that was much quicker and safer, and led directly to a waystation where they could rest.

However, Zachary had been bound by his promise to the captain, and would not abandon the patrol.

The Rider and Weapon exchanged glances and returned to scanning the woods.

Zachary sighed and rolled his eyes. When would they learn to trust him?

He bit back his words as battle cries erupted from the trees, and Second Empire mercenaries charged towards them.

His soldiers rushed to greet them, while Willis and Connly guarded their King.

Suddenly there was a shout behind him. The trio turned their heads to see a man in black raise a crossbow and aim directly at his heart. The bolt dripped with a black liquid. Poison.

There was no time for him to move; the bolt was instantly in motion. Zachary watched, frozen, as his death approached.

And then a blur obstructed it. The green and brown apparition charged from the trees. The crossbow hit the green bit, which got left behind and collapsed on the road.

Willis threw his black-banded sword at the mercenary, who died instantly.

Zachary saw this in his peripheral vision, as the brown blur slowed into a rearing horse, and wheeled back towards his rider.

Zachary's eyes widened.

He recognized that horse. Condor. Which meant that the green blur was...

No.

Please, no.

Zachary looked at the figure lying in the dirt, dying the ground red, and a single tear leaked from his eye and tracked down his face, to drip onto her green uniform.

It was only then that he realized he had launched himself off his horse to get to her.

He cupped her face in his hands, brushing his thumb along her cheekbone. "Karigan..." His voice ached with despair.

Connly appeared at his side, and began to hurriedly bandage her wound.

A hand appeared on Zachary's shoulder.

"Sire, it is only a flesh wound. She will live, as long as her body can fight the poison. For now, we must get out of here!"

Zachary was filled with sudden hope. She could live? Then the sounds of battle found his ears, and he realized his predicament.

He looked round for his horse, but it had bolted. Condor stood beside him, and nudged him softly.

Zachary nodded to his companions. Time to get out of here.


	2. Chapter 2

Zachary's breathing was loud in the silence of the woods as they left the battlefield behind. All that could be heard were steady hoofbeats. There was danger all around, he was concentrated on following Connly to the hidden waystation. And despite the unconscious woman in his arms, Zachary was almost... Exhilarated.

He berated himself for that thought instantly, his mind turning back to the predicament they found themselves in. Karigan was injured, with a potentially deadly poison in her veins. Second Empire mercenaries battled his Sacoridian soldiers only a little way behind. The trail he and his companions were leaving was easily identifiable due to the haste they were making. There was no time to be enjoying the ride.

One arm held the reins (though Condor seemed to know exactly where to go without him helping), while the other was wrapped around Karigan, her back against his chest.

Her brown hair tickled his face as it blew back in the breeze, but that was the only movement her body was making. Her arms flopped lifelessly at her sides as they rode, and her head lolled worryingly.

Zachary mumbled words of encouragement that she couldn't hear to her, his lips occasionally hitting her ear as he was jolted in the saddle. He pulled her back against him and buried his face in her hair for a second. "Hold on Kari. Just hold on a bit longer." He mumbled.

Then afternoon light hit him as Condor emerged into a clearing. Zachary felt a tingle on his skin, and the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. Willis, as a Black Sheild, was not entirely comfortable with magic, and looked around suspiciously. Connly and the horses seemed perfectly comfortable, and even Karigan began to breathe easier.

Connly jumped off his horse with practiced ease before tying it up round the back of a little hut, that Zachary assumed was the Rider Waystation. Condor instinctively followed.

Zachary lifted Karigan in his arms. He had dreamed of doing that before, but in a slightly different situation.

He passed her limp body down to Willis, who ran inside, leaving his horse just standing there, to the outrage of Connly. He then noticed the King's indecision, and gestured wearily for him to follow the Weapon inside, while he sorted out the horses.

According to Laren, this Meradin Bridge Waystation was supposed to be one of the largest. When Zachary entered, he found two beds and about a meter square area of wooden floor to the side, with a fire, bookshelf and cupboard. He cringed inwardly, making a mental note to give the Riders far more funds than they were currently receiving once he returned to Sacor City.

Karigan lay on one of the beds, her shirt pushed up so that Willis could treat her. He finished unwrapping Connly's hasty bandage, revealing a nasty wound. Blood leaked from it, the black poison mixing with the red and staining the sheets.

"Oh Kari..."

Connly hurried through the door and took in the situation. "We need a mender." He said, before collapsing on the other bed.

"We need Ben" commented Willis.

Connly nodded and closed his eyes, laying back.

Zachary looked between them, horrified. Were they giving up on her?

Then he heard Connly mumble.

"Trace... It's Kari... Yeah, need Ben... Hurry Trace... Yes Captain, the King is here, but I need Ben... Quick..."

Ahh. So Connly was communicating with his partner, Trace, who was in Sacor City, so they could ask Ben what to do. Clever. He now felt even more useless.

Zachary had a wander around the small room, heading for the flimsy bookshelf in the corner. His fingers traced the spines.

 _The Journeys of Gilan Wylloland... Songs of Lilith Ambriodhe... Edible Plants of the Northern Border... Meradin Bridge Waystation Journal._

Zachary opened the last one, and instantly the young child within him became engrossed in the pages. Snippets of missions catalogued in the entries made him yearn for an adventure, while the dangers of the road that were hinted at put the adult-him off.

He flicked through most until he came to a part where he knew the names. He recognized some as Riders who had been there when he had been a young Prince. Then he found Laren, and by the date on it, she would continue traveling North and almost get gutted on this mission. In this entry, she was joking about how the Rider with her had forgotten to pack socks.

He flicked forward more. His breath caught in his throat when saw names off riders he had sent on missions that had meant their deaths. Osric McGrew had even made an entry on his way to spying on Second Empire, which had led to his death, and then his body being sewn back together and sent to Sacor City on his horse.

He recognized other names, like Mara, Ephram, who had burned alive in Rider Barracks, Tegan, Beryl, Lynx, Garth, F'ryan, Dale, Connly, Ty, Karigan, Yates...

Guilt collapsed down onto his shoulders. He read jokes that they had left for each other, comments on the scenery, pointers on shortcuts in the area...

He didn't realize he was crying until Connly came up behind him and shut the book, pushing it firmly back onto the shelf. The Rider looked at him with sad eyes. Eyes that had seen too much. "No one blames you. You should follow our example. It is not your fault. Come away."

And he steered Zachary away from the books, and back over to Karigan.

Where she lay twitching, Willis watching on.


	3. Chapter 3

The King, the Weapon and the Rider watched on frantically as blood leaked through Karigan's wound. The black poison had been reported to Ben through Connly, who now knew how to make an antidote.

He spun to face Zachary. "Could you go outside and fetch me some Tigeryew, Sticklewort and wild garlic?" Then, seeing his confused expression, said, "Actually, I'll get them, you boil some water." And he left, almost running through the door.

Zachary, though embarrassed to say it, did not know how to do that either, so looked over at Willis, who met his eyes.

"How do you not know how to boil water?" the Weapon asked, amazed.

"I'm the King. I am required to take servants everywhere with me. They do everything for me." replied Zachary, as they exchanged seats. Willis left to fetch some water from the stream.

Zachary looked down at Karigan. The skin of her flat stomach was exposed. Hard and muscled, it was littered with scars, including a large stab wound from Nyssa, beside the crossbow injury. At her sides hung strips of flesh from the torture wounds on her back.

He took her lax hand in his and kissed her knuckles. Why did she have to suffer so much?

Zachary raised his head when Willis walked in, hauling a pail of water behind him, but did not let go of her hand.

The Weapon ripped a strip of black cloth from his uniform, dipping it into the cool stream water, before walking over and mopping Karigan's sweaty brow. He then began to boil the water, as Zachary watched on.

Soon Connly returned and showed him each plant. He then started to make the antidote with Willis.

Though it took much longer than Zachary liked, the antidote was made fairly quickly, and applied to the wound in a paste, before it was bandaged back up by Willis.

The three men then gathered by the fire, as dusk set in. Connly took a map off the shelf, and spread it on the floor. He pointed their location out, marked 'Waystation', and then the place of the battle that had occurred earlier.

"Obviously, we hope that our soldiers won, but we must prepare for the worst. The battle would have lasted a while longer after we left, and as it is getting dark now, Second Empire will not find us tonight, as it will be too difficult to track us. The soldiers will wait for morning. So, we cannot stay here."

As the Rider finished, the other two spoke over the top of each other.

"I thought the magic here would prevent them finding us?" from Willis, and "We can't move Karigan yet! She is too injured!" from the King.

The rider nodded patiently, as if explaining something to children.

"Yes, the greenie magic means that enemies cannot get to us. However, they can easily starve us out, and prevent us from reaching Sacor City. Obviously we cannot move Karigan yet. So I volunteer to divert them. In the morning, I will retrace our steps, hide our real trail, and lead them away."

"Then what?"

Connly pointed to a ridge on the map. "They ride through there, I am at the top of the hill, and I attempt to kill them before they kill me."

Huh. The bravery of the Green Riders.

"You cannot kill them all on your own! I will go with you," volunteered Willis.

"As much as I would value the help of a Weapon, isn't your duty to guard the King?"

"And I will be, by guiding them away."

They nodded and shrugged at his logic.

"Alright. But what do I do about Karigan? I am no healer." Asked Zachary.

"None of us are."

They looked over at the woman lying on the bed. Sweat drenched her brow, and her breathing was ragged.

"Ben said that the medicine might cause her to hallucinate. I, uh, don't know what you should do about that."

Oh, great.


	4. Chapter 4

Zachary watched as his two friends rode away in the early morning light. If they succeeded, it would be about four days until he saw them again. If they failed...

He shook himself and went about some chores. He gave Condor some more oats, collected a bucket of water from the stream, and washed in it. He got another, and returned inside to boil it. Then, using the edible plants guide, he gathered a small supply of vegetation for eating. The book also told him to collect nettle leaves for tea, but he recognized that evil plant from his childhood, and boiled some other leaves instead, before finding tea in the cupboard.

He sat on the bed with his hot mug, and checked on Karigan. She had been mumbling in the night, but was fine at the moment.

He looked through the saddlebags, and found food that she must have picked up from the keep in the Lone Forest. Then he suddenly remembered that she had gone to look for the P'ehdrose! He had a rummage through her belongings, and underneath a greatcoat, he found her message satchel.

Opening it, he found documents that he had written, talking of allegiance and treaties, signed by Yannuf of the P'ehdrose. Zachary smiled. Why had he ever doubted her? If anyone could find mystical beings and persuade them to join a war, it would be Karigan.

He heard a murmur from the bed, and some shuffling. He rushed to Karigan's side.

"Zachary..."

He grabbed her flailing hand and pressed it against his cheek. "Kari, Kari love, it's alright, I'm here, you're safe."

At the sounds of his voice she seemed to calm, and sunk down into the sheets, sighing. Her eyes opened blearily, and after a few seconds, her eyes focused. "Zachary?"

He smiled. "Kari."

"I... Wha-"

Zachary interrupted. "You were hit by a poisoned crossbow bolt aimed at me. Connly treated it, but at the moment both he and Willis are trying to prevent Second Empire soldiers from finding us."

Her eyes widened in horror at her friends risking their lives to keep her safe. "I'm going after them." She began to sit up, her eyes watering from the pain, though she tried to hide it. Zachary put a hand on her shoulder, and softly pushed her back onto the bed. "You are going nowhere."

Her expression spoke of rebellion, and he raised an eyebrow, adding "by order of the King." She sighed and grinned. "And Condor?" He smiled and nodded. "He's fine."

She smiled and reached a hand out to his face. Her calused thumb ran a shaky trail along his cheekbone, before dropping back down to her side. Her eyes slowly slid shut, and she slipped once more into unconsciousness.


	5. Chapter 5

Zachary sat on the bed, leaning against the wall. He held a warm cup of tea in his hands, and an empty plate sat on the floor beside him. He was wrapped in a fluffy green blanket, and was staring entranced into the fire.

He had survived a whole day on his own, in the wild. Well, not technically in the wild. Or a whole day. Or even on his own.

But he _had_ survived it.

He looked over at Karigan and smiled sadly. Asleep she looked so vulnerable, and he yearned to protect her. She wouldn't let him, he knew. She was constantly putting herself in danger, to protect the ones she loved. As much as he admired her for it, he wished she would stop.

He returned to staring into the flames, when the woman beside him began to mumble. Her expression became a frown, and she shifted uncomfortably on the bed. Zachary put his tea aside, and knelt down by the bed.

"No, no I'm sorry... No, no no no please no..." She rolled around, and Zachary realized she must be dreaming.

"Nyssa, no, no, please... PLEASE!!!!"

Her scream shocked Zachary, and he fell over backwards. She flailed about, and continued to pant, still mumbling.

"I, no, it wasn't me, it wasn't my fault, I'm sorry! Cade, no please, I _tried._ Why did you let go? No no no no no Alton you aren't dead..."

Zachary climbed unsteadily back into a crouch, blinking a few times to clear his head.

"Mara... No, it wasn't me... not my fault... YATES!!!!"

Zachary managed to not fall over at this scream, though he was knocked backwards when one of Karigan's hands whacked into his face.

"Yates, no... Osric... Jendara? No Drent, I'll try harder... I'm sorry Captain, I'll do better... Mother... I need you... Where did you all go?" She muttered folornly.

Zachary held her arms down, though she seemed calmer, just sad now.

"I- Cade. I love you. I miss you. I need you."

No matter Zachary's selfish and jealous feelings towards Cade, the bare pain in Karigan's voice caused tears to drip down onto her face.

She sighed and relaxed. Zachary let go of her arms, and perched on the bed beside her, wiping his eyes frustratedly. But she was not quite finished.

"Zachary... I love you... Don't leave me... Don't _forget_ me... No... You have to forget me. I will never be good enough... Let me go..."

Tears were running unashamedly down Zachary's cheeks now, as he lent over to kiss her. He could taste salt as their lips met.

He hugged her close to him, and buried his face in her hair.

When he stopped crying, he climbed into bed beside her. He rested her head on his shoulder, and wrapped an arm around her thin frame, careful to avoid her injuries. He pulled the green blanket over them, and slept.


	6. Chapter 6

Zachary woke to the dawn light peeking through the windows. He lay still with his eyes closed, so he could pretend that he was still asleep. He could feel a warm body pressed against his. In his half-awake mind, he could imagine it was Karigan, her chocolate brown hair tickling his chin, her hand drawing small patterns on his chest.

He opened his eyes, to find that it actually _was_ Karigan. He blinked a few times and pinched himself, but she remained.

"I- Kari?"

She titled her head back to look at him, and smiled softly.

"Morning Zachary."

He smiled back, and pulled her closer, not wanting this dream to end. She tucked her head under his chin, and spoke into his shoulder.

"Why are you in my bed?"

He paused before replying. "You were dreaming. You were flailing about and mumbling, so I was already half on your bed trying to stop you. When you calmed I wanted to make sure it didn't happen again."

She grunted, but Zachary was unsure whether she believed him.

Her stomach growled, then, and Zachary chucked. "Are you hungry?" he asked innocently. Karigan gave him a look, and grinning, he raised his hands in surrender.

He climbed out of bed and brought back a mixture of vegetation and Karigan's provisions. The colour came back into her cheeks as she ate, encouraging Zachary.

When she had finished, she decided she was going to see Condor. Zachary instantly objected, but she was determined, and pushed past him when his back was turned.

He followed her round the back, where she had her arms wrapped around Condor's neck, murmuring in his ear. She then wandered about, checking his food and her riding gear.

Karigan turned back to him, and hugged him. When she spoke, he could feel the words vibrate through his chest. "Thank you for looking after him! You did an amazing job. You even sorted my riding gear exactly like a Green Rider is taught to! Thank you so much. Condors says thanks too."

He laughed, but liked the feel of her arms around him too much to tell her that it had actually been Connly who had sorted her gear.

Zachary then carefully guided Karigan back to bed, where she promptly fell asleep.

He perched beside her, and moved a lock of brown hair out of her face, smiling at her peaceful expression.

He sighed. He knew he would have to let her go. He was married, and even if he wasn't, the King couldn't marry a commoner. Especially not now a war was drawing near. He needed the support of the Provinces more than ever.

But looking at her, he told himself he could find a way. He loved her. And his feelings would not be denied by a petty council, each member of which was just squabbling for power. He was the King. He was the most powerful man in Sacoridia. Surely he could marry the woman he loved.

His Kari.

She snored softly and he laughed quietly to himself. It had been such a romantic and inspiring moment, until Karigan's interruption.

But he loved her for it. He would never stop loving her.


	7. Chapter 7

Evening light turned the treetops gold, as well as illuminating Zachary's amber hair. As he sat on the rooftop, his almond-shaped brown eyes took in the surroundings, and compared it to the map in his hands.

He was attempting to work out the whereabouts of his two friends, as well as the direction of Sacor City. He shook his head. He could just see trees.

He heard the door open below him, and Karigan came out. She had slept all afternoon, still exhausted from being poisoned. After checking on Condor, she came back round and spotted her King sitting on the rooftop.

A Weapon might have suggested he come down, for safety. An enemy might have tried to kill him while he was in an unsafe position. Karigan, however, merely climbed up to join him, wincing when she stretched her back.

When she reached him, he smiled and leaned back against the chimney. Karigan sat beside him, their hips touching, and put her head on his chest, a position which was becoming almost familiar. He wrapped an arm around her, hand on her waist, to keep her from falling, he told himself.

"I... I don't suppose you know anything about using maps?" Zachary asked. He could use maps to plan battles, to design roads, but in the real world?

He realized his mistake when Karigan began laughing, her body shaking, making him tighten his hold on her.

"You just asked... a Green Rider... if they know... how to use a map?" Karigan got out while laughing at him. "Oh Zachary," she said, patting his chest, "There are many skills I need to teach you. If a Rider cannot read a map, how will they know where to go? None of your messages would be delivered."

He grudgingly admitted that it had been a fairly stupid question, and handed the map over. She barely glanced at it before pointing to the left, saying, "Connly and Willis", and then in pretty much in the opposite direction, "Sacor City."

The pair continued to discuss what Connly and Willis had volunteered for, with Karigan still certain she should be allowed to ride after them, until the sun began to set. The pair watched as the sky turned from orangey to dark blue black.

They then clambered back down to the floor, and Zachary boiled tea, which Karigan admitted wasn't that bad. He then helped her into bed, from where she watched him as he flicked through the books on the shelf, though he assumed she was asleep.

She suddenly spoke, making him jump. "Tell me a story."

He had never been able to make up stories, so decided to read one instead. He picked up the well-loved copy of _The Journeys of_ _Gilan Wylloland_ , and sat beside her on her bed.

He opened it to find that the back of the cover had writing on,one in a blue ink that looked faintly familiar, and another, confident hand which he recognized. The first said:

 _This book is the property of Clan G'ladheon._

Underneath, in Laren's handwriting, it said:

 _Rider Sir Karigan G'ladheon, presumed dead in Blackveil, left this book in our possession. We share it here in_ Meredin Bridge Waystation, _so that we may read her favourite stories, and remember her, and others like her, who have died in service of our country. Never forget._

Zachary turned to her. "This... This is yours." The words were caught in his throat. He tried not to show how much Laren's words had got to him.

She smiled happily. "Ooh, this is where my book ended up."

Zachary gave her an odd look at her careless attitude, and started to read the first chapter. Karigan seemed to nod off several times, so he silently put the book down, and tried to climb over to his bed.

However, a hand grabbed his arm. "Stay with me?"

Zachary smiled. What kind of question was that.


	8. Chapter 8

Zachary woke to darkness.

The fire had gone out and it was the middle of the night. He wondered what had woken him.

The warm body at his side shifted, and sweat was wiped on his arm. She emitted a low moan.

He frowned. His hand found Karigan's forehead, which was burning with fever. He threw the covers off and went outside. The moonlight illuminated his path, and he collected water from the stream.

He took it back inside, and started to cool her down.

She was wearing a shirt and trousers. He rolled her sleeves up, but was unsure what to do about her trousers. He knew that when he was warm at night, he took his trousers off, as it was hard to roll them up.

Realising that he would have to take them off her, he blushed, and closed his eyes, shaking his head. He muttered a short prayer to Aeyrc, and unfastened them.

He tried to pull them off with his eyes closed, but Karigan moaned and suddenly her hand was gripping his wrist. He opened his eyes, and blushed harder, seeing her smooth, bare legs in moonlight.

He removed her trousers and folded them on the floor. He then reached up to pull her shirt down over her underwear, when the back of his hand brushed the top of her thigh. It was warm. He recalled a dream he had had after being poisoned only a week or so before, which had featured Karigan, and had to force himself to to stop trailing his fingers down her leg. He closed his eyes against the sweet pain of loving her.

He suddenly realized that it was much quieter in the room than it had been. He looked up at Karigan's face, to find her eyes open, watching him.

She said nothing, just continued to watch him.

Standing by the end of the bed made it harder for him to avoid looking at her legs, so he moved round, closer to her face. She still just watched him.

His fingers knotted together as he fidgeted in anxiety. He swallowed nervously, and sat on the edge of the bed.

Karigan abruptly sat up and kissed him. Her hands framed his face, and tangled in the hair at the base of his neck. Though suprised, he quickly adjusted, and his hands eagerly slid down her sides, smoothing the bare skin of her legs. He lifted her so that she sat on his lap, and then one hand slid back up, and, hesitantly, under the back of her shirt.

She gasped slightly against his lips, accidentally allowing his tongue access. Her hands left his face, and slid steadily down his chest, undoing the buttons as they went. Zachary had no objection.

The feeling of her long fingers tracing the hard muscle of his chest and back was ecstasy. He began to kiss along her jawline, and she moaned as his teeth found her neck.

They went no further than that, just continued to kiss until Karigan fell asleep. Zachary planted one last kiss on her temple, before he too slept.


	9. Chapter 10

When Zachary woke, he could feel early morning sunlight on the back of his eyelids, like a caress. The scent of spring pollen permeated the air, and he could hear a peaceful variety of birds and insects.

He was calm and happy here, even though the bed was not nearly as comfortable as his own one. This was like the life he had always dreamed of living, when he was stuck up there in his castle.

There was something so sincere and simple about the way a light breeze ruffled his hair because someone had left the door open, that- Since when had the door been open?

He scrambled up to find both Karigan, her riding gear, and the sabre, gone.

 _No, no no no no._ Why was she always so reckless? He had said it before, Karigan G'ladheon was taking years off his life.

He dashed out of the door and headed for the stable, and breathed a sigh of relief. The Green Rider was still tacking up Condor.

He cleared his throat, and she froze, then slowly turned to look at him, plastering an innocent smile on her face. "Yes?"

Zachary raised his eyebrows. "Where do you think you are going?"

She licked her lips, eyes darting everywhere but at him. "I- uh.. I'm... Exercising Condor...?"

He folded his arms over his still-naked chest, blushing slightly as he remembered her taking it off him.

She squirmed under his gaze, and also blushed as her eyes followed his arms, hurriedly looking back up at him.

She finally gave in. "I can't leave them on their own Zachary! They are my friends and they're doing this for me!"

He had to suppress a grin when she said his name, but refused to budge.

"You are injured. They will expect to meet us here. If they return by another route and don't find us, they will assume we have returned to Sacor City."

Karigan shook her head stubbornly. "I know this land; there is only one way they can go without falling off a cliff. And anyway, we could just leave them a note in the Logbook."

He frowned, noting her arguments as he was used to when hearing petitions. He weighed up his options. He had to admit, staying here while others fought felt wrong. However, Karigan was injured, and...

So, it was just his overprotectiveness that was keeping them here. Seeming to realize this, his Green Rider added, "I'll be fine Zachary. You'll protect me."

She grinned, and that was the end of it.

They were going.

"But put on a shirt first Zachary." Karigan pantomime-whispered to him, blushing, and he laughed.


	10. Actual chapter 10

Zachary sat (fairly uncomfortably) behind Condor's sadle. The horse was doing his best, and with one person his gait would have been smooth as butter. Zachary's extra weight threw him off slightly. The only thing making it bearable was his hands, clutching Karigan's waist.

Her brown hair tickled his face in the wind, and her back would occasionally hit his chest.

The sky was grey and stormy, and the air was cold. He shivered through the Green Rider uniform he had borrowed from the waystation.

There had been no time to try them on, so he had merely opted for the biggest size in both shirt and greatcoat. The embroidered winged horse made him feel a fraud; he didn't deserve to wear the crest that such great heroes had worn. He counted Karigan among those heroes.

Abruptly, Condor slowed to a halt. Karigan turned in the saddle to look at him, and gestured amusedly for him to dismount.

After he had done so, she hopped off with practiced ease, and quickly shared out some food from her pockets, as well as loosening Condor's girth so that he could graze.

Zachary sat down on the grass, his back against a tree, eating an apple, surveying the small clearing. It was dotted with a range of wildflowers, and a spindly hazel stood on its own in the centre. If he had been a commoner instead of a king, he could have spent every day like this.

Karigan picked a few hazelnuts from the tree, and broke the shell with her teeth, before biting it. She shrugged and looked over. "Not quite ripe yet, but ok."

She collected a handful more, and then headed over to where he sat against the tree. She plonked herself down between his legs, and leaned back, grinning up at him. Zachary rolled his eyes as he accepted the hazelnuts from her, and bit the shells apart.

While they were eating, Karigan explained the situation to him.

"If they were planning on being 4 days, Connly and Willis will reach this clearing in a few hours, so I think we will be fine if we just wait here for them. They will definitely pass through here, as Connly was the one who told me about this clearing with the hazel, so he will come this way. We've just got to wait now."

He nodded and yawned. Karigan chuckled, but yawned herself a few seconds later.

She shuffled around against him until she was comfortable, and quickly dozed off to the buzz of insect wings. Zachary began his nap soon after.


	11. Chapter 11

Zachary was woken by Karigan's outraged scream as she leapt from his lap towards Condor. Zachary jumped up and automatically drew his sword, taking in his surroundings.

A group of groundmites who had obviously been working with the second empire soldiers, had come to this clearing in an attempt to cut off Connly and Willis on their return. However, upon finding that the clearing was occupied, they had crept forwards and tried to kill the horse first.

Luckily Condor must have somehow alerted Karigan, who now beheaded one of them.

They weren't overly happy about that.

All of them charged, and the pair began fighting. Zachary's pulse sped up and heart rate quickened. It soon became methodical, just slash and hack, but he knew not to let his guard down, and so was ready for the swipe at his legs when it came. He quickly stabbed straight through the thing's back. Days spent in Drent's company came back to him then, and he could hear the swordmaster's words echo through his head. They drilled a tempo into his mind, a beat he kept to with the sword.

 _Butcher's Block... 123!_

The groundmite before him fell to the floor in three pieces.

And suddenly there were no more around him. Karigan, however, was surrounded. Terror clutched his heart. He couldn't let her be harmed.

He debated fighting his way over, but knew he would never get through that thick press of bodies alive, and so started picking them off from the back, just keeping an eye on his Rider, where she fought beside her horse.

He assumed that it must be harder with Condor beside her, having to watch his back too, but he proved me wrong.

Zachary screamed a warning, heart in his mouth, as he saw a groundmite sneak up behind her and launch itself from a rock at her back, yet she didn't even bother turning to look. Condor kicked it in mid-air, and it was dead before it reached the floor.

As if the horse felt Zachary's open-mouthed gaze, he turned back and somehow seemed to be smirking at the king. Karigan also sensed it, and smiled while patting his neck and menacing the nearest creature with her sabre.

As if realizing their sudden lack of numbers, the groundmites suddenly ran for the cover of the trees.

Zachary dropped his sword and ran towards her, pulling her against his chest. He was breathing heavily, and burried his face in her soft brown hair.

"Don't ever scare me like that again. Do you hear me? Never again Karigan G'ladheon." He told her as he pushed her away slightly to stare into her eyes.

She looked confused and scared, and suddenly pulled away. She hugged Condor and wouldn't look at him.

"Karigan?"

She twisted slightly to bury her face further into Condor's fluffy winter coat.

"Karigan, what's wrong?"

She suddenly wrenched herself away from the horse, and Zachary could see that she was struggling to maintain in control of her emotions.

"You can't feel like that about me. Nothing can ever happen, its not right. You have to let me go."

As she spoke, he felt like nails were being driven into his heart.

"But... I love you Karigan. We... We can work something out... I'll... Sort it-"

"Nothing can come of this! You have a wife, and soon children. You are the _king_ of Sacoridia, and I am a common messenger. _Nothing can ever happen between us!_ You have to let me go."

Her eyes implored him, both to go and stay. Her words reflected what his mind knew, but his heart would not admit.

"I... I don't think I can." Zachary answered truthfully. He knew that he would never be able to forget his feelings for her.

Karigan managed to look relieved and frustrated at the same time. However, she was stopped from replying by hoofbeats. Zachary could see her wondering if they were in her head, but he could hear them too.

They quickly mounted Condor, and Karigan reined him around, ready to run.

And then Connly and Willis rode through the trees, and pulled up short upon seeing them there.

Connly and Karigan had a hurried conversation, probably about the route from here, and Willis checked on his king.

Within seconds, and with no warning, they were off.

Zachary grabbed at Karigan's waist to keep himself on Condor's back.

For a second she leaned into the touch, then turned round to glare at him, and he hurriedly removed his hands.

He sighed. He needed to sort this out.


	12. Chapter 12

Zachary was now well used to the loping motion of Condor's strides. He did not know how his Riders could enjoy this; day after day in the saddle getting sore legs and seeing the same monotonous line of trees beside the road, with no one to talk to.

They were not currently on a road, as Connly and Karigan seemed to have decided it was too obvious a route. They were traveling in silence, Connly at the front, then Condor carrying both Zachary and Karigan, and Weapon Willis at the back.

He heard sounds of movement behind them. The groundmites and mercenaries were still out of sight, but by no means out of mind. They were catching. Carrying two people meant that Condor couldn't go as fast as they would have liked.

The last rest break had been hours ago, and the enemy were too close to consider taking one now.

Zachary wondered how it would feel to be out here in this situation, on his own. To know that any bad decision could mean his death, and that no one was coming to save him. He exhaled slowly to calm himself. They would get out of this.

Karigan edged her horse up, so that she was almost beside Connly, and started an urgent conversation. Zachary strained to listen, but couldn't hear much of it, as they were whispering, so that Second Empire didn't somehow hear it. That made it hard to make out the words over the noise of hoofbeats.

He observed, though, as the Riders conversed, using military hand signals that he recognized but couldn't identify. Abruptly, Connly adamantly shook his head at whatever Karigan had been suggesting. Zachary frowned. In that case he could bet Karigan's plan involved her sacrificing herself and getting hurt.

She continued arguing persistently, however, and Connly seemed to come to some agreement that he was not entirely happy with.

They quickly pulled the horses to a halt, and made Zachary dismount, and then climb up onto the back of Connly's horse.

Zachary was satisfied, thinking that giving Condor a break was all she had been arguing for.

This hopehope was destroyed when she nodded respectfully at him, and wheeled Condor off to the side away from them. Connly uttered a quick prayer, but then rode on, focused on the path ahead.

Zachary looked back at Willis, who although he looked proud of Karigan for putting her king first, was also worried for his sister-at-arms.

Then, further behind him and in the direction Kari had ridden, came a woman's voice, calling, "Halooo! Over here you... Overgrown pigeon droppings!"

Despite the situation, Zachary chuckled at her insult. However, it seemed to have worked, for he heard screeches of anger, and their voices began to sound further away.

Zachary closed his eyes and bowed his head. _Don't let anything happen to her. I need her to come back to me. My brave Green Rider. My Kari._


	13. Chapter 13

Zachary sat on his throne and brooded.

The petitioners had left for the day, and it was now early evening. The orangey rays of sunlight were filtering through the windows, and highlighting his amber hair. The king's almond-shaped brown eyes surveyed the scene before him.

His most trusted councillors sat before him, discussing matters of state. Four of the Lord Governors were also there, including Lord Coutre, who only served to remind him of the lady sitting at his side.

Queen Estora. His wife.

Not his Kari.

And that was why he was brooding.

He watched the tree line that he could see out the ornate glass window from his vantage point at the top of the dais, hoping, no _praying_ , to catch a glimpse of her.

Because his beloved Green Rider had not yet returned.

He, Connly and Willis had arrived at the castle weeks before, to jubilation. The Winding Way had been packed with people, cheering for their King. There had been a feast in his honour, and Estora had informed him that she had already had her dress made for the ball. He had beamed, happy to return to his castle, and had even been laughing with his councillors, who had come out to greet him in the courtyard.

And then he had seen their faces. His Riders and Weapons. His most loyal friends.

And they were not celebrating. Most looked relieved to see that he had returned safely, but he suddenly realized how easy it was for the nobility to forget the sacrifice of those beneath them. The new Lord Governor of Penburn Province had noticed, and had actually approached Laren to ask her. But no one else. They were too focused on the upcoming ball and feast.

Connly had turned to face him then, and his expression had matched every one of the Rider's faces as they saw him laughing while one of them had gone missing. She had saved him, and this was how he was acknowledging that sacrifice. Their faces wore identical expressions of disappointment in their King.

Even Laren, who knew him better than anyone, shook her head, and walked away with the others. Many of the Weapons followed.

As he recalled that moment, when his most loyal supporters had turned their backs in disappointment, he cringed inwardly. That had been hard for his pride to swallow.

It had been even harder, when the nobility had urged him to invite all of the Commoners to the ball and feast, and not one Green Rider had shown. Only the Black Sheilds protecting him were there also.

After the ball had finished, he had gone down to the Rider Wing, to apologize. He had entered the corridor, and encountered silence. Many of the doors were closed, showing that the occupants had gone to sleep.

A low murmur, and the sound of glass touching glass could be heard through one open door. Zachary approached it, and found the common room.

The older Riders sat in the armchairs, drinking quietly. One, he thought the young man's name might have been Fergal, was snoring. Garth and Mara were having a quiet game of Intrigue in the corner. To his suprise, he found four Weapons in there too. Connly was having a tired conversation with Willis, and Fastion was studying a map with Laren and Ty. Donal was watching the game of Intrigue, while Brienne just sat quietly with a drink, beside Tegan and Daro. He also saw Anna, the young servant, wearing a Rider uniform sitting there, tending to the fire every so often.

He was struck with self pity. As King, he could never share this companionship, not even to mourn the loss of a Rider. Not now he had offended the only people likely to.

And then Daro had noticed him. They had rarely spoken to each other, and were no where near friends. And yet, she decided to forego his title, and addressed him as, "Zachary."

Everyone turned to look, apart from Fergal, who snored on.

He looked around the room warily. "Good evening."

Mara rolled her eyes, and gestured to an empty chair, before turning back to the game.

He smiled slightly as he sat on the throne, remembering how he had sat with the Riders until the early hours of the morning, drinking in companionable silence.

Laren had come up to him before she left for bed, and whispered, "You are forgiven."

Unfortunately he had not forgiven himself.


	14. Chapter 14

**This is probably the last chapter. Hope you all liked it!! Thanks for all the lovely comments, and I'll try to start my new GR fic soon.**

Zachary sat on his throne once again. There was yet another meeting happening down before him, and orangey afternoon sunlight came through the glass windows once more.

His repetitive life as King had started again.

He recalled his days in the wilderness. Every day had been different. He had been stuck in an icy prison, brought to Grandmother by some groundmites, healed and forced to work as a slave, and then Karigan had come and saved him. After that, he realized just how many times she got injured on message runs. Trouble just seemed to find her.

And then there were those precious days where they had been alone, and she had been too delirious to consider the consequences of her actions. They had slept beside each other.

And he had never felt happiness like he had when he had woken to find Kari asleep beside him, with her head on his chest.

He could remember with perfect clarity the exact weight of her arm across him, the exact way her hair had been splayed out on his chest, and how perfectly her body had fit against him.

And then a wave of melancholy hit him. Because none of that could be ever happen again.

He realized he had been staring out above the meeting with an unseeing gaze, and turned to look at the tree line.

He sat up straight in his chair as he saw groundmites slink back into the forest.

So, where was Karigan?

He shook his head, he should not be worrying about this now. He should be actively participating in this war council.

But he couldn't. Not until he knew she was safe.

He put his hands on the arms of his throne, and began to rise, and end the meeting, when he met the gaze of Fastion across the hall. His stony expression frowned at him.

Zachary recalled how he had disappointed both the Riders and the Weapons when he had arrived back at the castle, and sat back in his chair.

He began to listen to the meeting.

One General wanted to send a Green Rider to the North East division, and get them to move out into the Northern Wasteland. Another was adamant that that was foolish, and Laren said she would send no Rider but for the order of the King.

It was then that they all looked up at him, but he was spared from answering by a commotion outside the throne room.

He motioned for quiet, and strained to listen. He- was that a horse?

Zachary stood and almost ran down the dais. Two Weapons opened the great oaken doors, and a few seconds later, a horse reared in the doorway.

Behind him, he heard Laren call, "Condor!" But he had eyes only for the woman on the horse's back.

Slumped in the saddle, her uniform was ripped all over, and dried blood left brownish drip marks. When she lifted her head, there was blood from a recent wound matting her hairline.

Karigan started to slide from Condor, and Zachary rushed to catch her. She lay limp in his arms, too exhausted to move.

She managed to open one eye to look at him.

Zachary recalled how she had told him that he must leave her alone, but she was obviously too tired to care. Her expression was just relief at a familiar face.

He carried her carefully to the Mending Wing, revelling in the fact that her could hold her this last time.

He looked down at her with sad eyes as Ben got to work.

 _I love you, Karigan G'ladheon. But I understand now. I know where my duties lie._

He began to back out of the doorway, though his eyes still rested on her face.

 _You can never be mine, and I can never be yours._

 _But I can dream it._ _I can wish for it._

 _Oh Kari._


End file.
